The 5 Most Underappreciated Actors in Hollywood

Let’s face it. Some of us go to the movies to see a specific actor on screen. But for every Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, there are lesser known actors who light up the screen just as, if not more, often. This is a list of those actors:

Colin Farrell

Yes, folks, I’m dead serious. And this isn’t because I have been a major fan of the guy since Hart’s War. Take a look at his filmography for a moment. There are a number of quality films on there, and in each of them Farrell has shined. Minority Report was his true breakout, and is one of the best films of the decade. A smaller film like Phone Booth showed his range, but it wasn’t until The New World that I really started to see Farrell as the incredibly gifted actor he is. In that film he gives such a nuanced performance it truly shows his development. His performance in In Bruges garnered him a Golden Globe, and his script selection seems to be much better than it was in the early 2000s. The sky is the limit for this talented Irishmen. Continue reading

[Movie Review] Moon

I have seen a few celebrities in person in my life. Hulk Hogan, Rupert from Survivor, Teck from The Real World Hawaii — they all have something in common. Reality stars, all. However, in 2008 I found myself in Los Angeles, walking down a sidewalk I encountered an actor I liked at the time who has since become one of my favorite actors working today.

The man I am speaking of is Sam Rockwell.

This is his most recent film. Continue reading

[Movie Review] The Book of Eli (2010)

The Book of Eli has a very straight forward plot. The movie takes place in a post-apocalyptic world after some sort of war, rapture, or the end of days. It is a dry rustic world which I perceived as a mix between the environments of two popular video games, Borderlands and Fallout 3.

Eli (Denzel Washington) obviously has a book of some sort and he has a mission to take it somewhere, and he has been walking for over 31 years. Naturally he won’t let anyone touch it and it has some sort of power to it. People want power, enter antagonist Carnegie (Gary Oldman).

The movie includes some pretty unexpected twists and I am a strong believer in respecting people’s surprises so I won’t reveal any spoilers.

Continue reading

[Movie Review] Big Fan

Plot Outline:

Big Fan tells the story of Paul (Patton Oswalt), a 36-year-old parking garage attendant who lives with his mother and has zero prospects in both his professional and personal life. The only thing that gives his life meaning is his passionate love affair with the New York Football Giants.

Paul’s already unstable life spirals further out of control after a disastrous encounter with his favorite player, which results in him even putting his own well-being behind his intense fandom. Continue reading

[Movie Review] It’s Complicated

I have a penis. Testicles as well. But you put a Nancy Meyers movie on a screen in front of me and I’ll enjoy it, girlfriend!

Okay, seriously. Without being overly dramatic, I enjoy her films a great deal. What Women Want, Something’s Gotta Give, and The Holiday — these are films that are quintessential romantic comedy viewing. So how does her most recent effort, It’s Complicated, compare with her prior work?

It’s Complicated centers around Jane (Meryl Streep) and her budding relationships with her ex-husband Jake (Alec Baldwin) and her architect Adam (Steve Martin). It’s a pretty unique tale of a woman having an affair with her ex-husband, while simultaneously trying to move beyond the relationship. Continue reading

The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special: In 3-D! On Ice!

Overview:

I stand behind no one in my love and admiration of The Simpsons, which I believe, beyond the shadow of a doubt, to be the best show in the history of television. And while I frequently bicker about how it jumped the proverbial shark long ago, the laughs and endless re-watchability of its early years more than cancels out any hostility I may feel towards a current batch of inferior episodes.

Last night, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the landmark series, Fox celebrated its greatness with “The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special: In 3-D! On Ice!,” a thoroughly entertaining and surprisingly in-depth hour-long documentary, made by Morgan Spurlock of Super Size Me fame, which proved to be a fitting celebration of comedy’s greatest accomplishment. Continue reading

[Movie Review] Sherlock Holmes (2009)

I’m here today to inform you about the new take on a classic hero, Sherlock Holmes.

Now I have never seen the original movies, nor have I read any of his books. The extent of my Holmes knowledge comes from the wonderful world of pop culture, combined with old cartoons and the like (such as the Sherlock Holmes in the future cartoon that was on T.V. a long time ago).  I went in to this knowing the basics i.e. super smart, pipe, Elementary Watson, etc, etc, nothing more nothing less. On to the movie.

We are introduced to Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) as he details his plans to incapacitate a lowly lackey. The detailing done in this scene set the stage for future encounters that Holmes has. After a few brutal ass whoopings inside an old tomb we meet Watson (Jude Law) who seems throughout the movie’s course that he could be his own movie star. Continue reading

[Movie Review] The Lovely Bones

I have learned that in 2009, it’s better to have no expectations of a film than high ones. The year saw a parade of films I was greatly anticipating fall short of expectations, to the point that the entire year felt like one disappointment after the other at the cinema.

Alas, I have tried to learn to not follow films from pre-production through release because you only end up feeling let down when it doesn’t meet the lofty standards you have for it. I’m so glad this film wasn’t on my radar until a month ago, and even happier that it kept me on the edge of my seat the way it did. Continue reading